I dont reccomend you buy a Sig 556

Ouch. That's not good. Refund and go buy something you can trust, AR, vz-58, FAL, something along those lines.

That stinks Averageman. You lay your hard earned money down for something that should be quality and you get that. I wouldn't be happy either.

Yep. About par for the course.

This isn't limited to SIG either. I really don't think American manufacturers have QC anymore, at least based on my experience in the last 10 years of buying firearms manufactured here.

I still think Sig makes some good products, but a friend of mine had the exact same issue. He couldn't adjust the sights enough to zero it properly.

I guess even the Germans have QC issues these days.

Averageman said:

Today they offered me a Sig 516 to replace the Sig Swat Patrol 556. Thats quite a deal for them, but I dont want it either.

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The 516 is more expensive than the 556 so I'd take the deal and then sell the 516 without shooting it.

Or keep the 516 (its basically an AR15 so you can always make it work if you have to).


When it comes down to it, small boutique manufacturers are the way to go if you want top quality. Bigger companies have so much overhead they have to cut expenses somewhere.

Go with an LMT or POF or other semi-custom, small manufacturer piece and you'll likely be happier (especially if money isn't a concern)

As unpopular as this statement will be with many users, Sig USA stinks and they're dragging the brands image through the mud.

The 556 rifle has been plagued with quality problems since day one. Misssing sights from early models, sloppy fit and finish, sight rails way off center, etc.

Their first year or so with the GSR 1911 was nothing short of a disaster. Horrible quality issues, the guns should have never made it to market. I know first hand... I was one of the early guinea pigs.

...and lastly I've had enough quality issues with US Sig pistols that I've completely stopped buying them (two lemon P220s). I'll buy a good quality German made gun when I find one, but no more US made Sigs for me after getting several lemons.

I still think Sig makes some good products, but a friend of mine had the exact same issue. He couldn't adjust the sights enough to zero it properly.

I guess even the Germans have QC issues these days.

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They're making them in the US. German made Sigs are still top quality. Sig USA just can't seem to get it's act together.

sturmgewehr said:

They're making them in the US. German made Sigs are still top quality. Sig USA just can't seem to get it's act together.

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I have three all German SIGs and five German/US SIGs and haven't had a single issue ... I guess I'm just lucky!!

I love my Sig 556 and I'm only guessing here but I bet I'm not the only satisfied owner of one.

It sounds like you got a lemon 556 and some bad CS. Neither of this surprises me because Sig has always had a sketchy reputation for CS, not as bad as some other gun companies but they are certainly not top or bottom of the list.

I purchased my first Sig 556 when they first came out, I paid about $1,700 for it after tax and I was very disappointed when I got it. The flip-up rear sight was missing a piece and they included a Sig 226 manual instead of a Sig 556 one. I had feeding issues with it on the range and I was never quite satisfied with the accuracy I was getting out of it. I ended up selling it to a friend of mine and I lost some money on it.

Recently when the Sig 556 suddenly had a price drop I decided to take a chance and buy another one. Despite the trouble I had with my first 556 I still liked the design and I've always had a crush on the Sig 55x line of rifles and the 556 was as close as I could get to owning a 550 or 551. So I bought a Sig 556 Classic and paid about $1k for it. For the price I paid I can deal with the fact that it's not as accurate as my AR and so far I haven't had any issues with the gun on the range, I'm completely satisfied with the 556 I have now.

The truth is any company that manufactures in the volume that Sig does is going to put out a few lemon guns and they CS is not going to be as good as you'd expect from a smaller company that needs to keep up good appearances in order to stay in the game with the big dogs. The reason why gun companies offer warranties on their products is because they know that they can't possibly guarantee that every gun that leaves the factory is going to be perfect.

My Sig556 Classic is perfect. Got it with the rotory sight and Red dot for $1100. Sorry about your bad luck. This gun has just impressed me and everyone else that's handled it. The only thing less than awesome about it is the magazine.

Sorry about your lemon, OP. Love my 556 but I did get ruffled when the price tanked the way it did. Maybe give it another try later on or buy one that's been broken in.

I hate to point out the obvious but the rather sharp price drop of the 556 rifles is likely due to their decreasing sales. My local shop has had many issues with the 556's and has watched as the initial excitement has turned to disappointment and poor sales.

I wanted one badly when they announced them but never handled one that passed my initial review. Every one of the samples I've handled has had at least a canted rail, unfortunately.

Maybe I'm just more patient than most folks but getting a replacement after two months and a bunch of free stuff is not bad service to me. "Stuff" happens and these things take time. No, it ain't perfect but we don't live in a perfect world, unfortunately.

Unfortunate situation. But we must remember that humans are imperfect and anything made by humans will also be imperfect. Every once in a while a clinker gets through.

When I was young and single I dated this girl who turned out to be a real witch. Should I have given up on women based on one experience?

SaxonPig said:

Unfortunate situation. But we must remember that humans are imperfect and anything made by humans will also be imperfect. Every once in a while a clinker gets through.

When I was young and single I dated this girl who turned out to be a real witch. Should I have given up on women based on one experience?

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Yes. See below:

#10. You can trade an old 44 for a new 22.

#9. You can keep one gun at home and have another for when you're on the road.

#8. If you admire a friend's gun and tell him so, he will probably let you try it out a few times.

#7. Your primary gun doesn't mind if you keep another gun for a backup.

#6. Your gun will stay with you even if you run out of ammo.

#5. A gun doesn't take up a lot of closet space.

#4. Guns function normally every day of the month.

#3. A gun doesn't ask , "Do these new grips make me look fat?"

#2. A gun doesn't mind if you go to sleep after you use it.

And the number one reason a gun is favored over a woman....

#1. YOU CAN BUY A SILENCER FOR A GUN

I have one of the early models and it has performed flawlessly. I wouldn't know about their CS as I haven't needed to use it for the rifle and I don't like their pistols.

3) A mystery spring fell out of the buttstock,..I have no idea where it goes.
4) The folding stock would never lock in to the folding position.


Think those 2 are interelated? Just sayin.

All my weapon purchases have been from manufactures who say they test fire everyone of their rifles before they leave the supplier.

I have had two that ended up having trigger glitches ( one squeeze two or more rounds would fire) after a couple of mags but have never had anything that I feel should have been caught from the briefest of QC inspection.

Pistols do not seem to be fired like rifles but golly gee letting a weapon with your name on it with obvious discrepancies out the door is not good business.

Natural selection works pretty much on all levels.

So I bought a Sig 556 Classic and paid about $1k for it. For the price I paid I can deal with the fact that it's not as accurate as my AR and so far I haven't had any issues with the gun on the range, I'm completely satisfied with the 556 I have now.

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I don't know about you, but I paid under 800 for my AR before addons (UBR and BAD lever ... nothing special), and i'd bet it's more accurate than your 1k+ Sig 556 too. I'd be pretty upset if I couldn't get at least a 1.5" group at 100 yds out of a $1000 rifle. Hell, I'm upset if I don't get (at the largest) 3" at 100 yds out of a $500 rifle.

I can't see spending that kind of money on a rifle if it's not at least as accurate as I am.

SaxonPig said:

Unfortunate situation. But we must remember that humans are imperfect and anything made by humans will also be imperfect. Every once in a while a clinker gets through.

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I think most of us would agree with that, however while SIG has a long reputation for building top notch guns the user/owner experience with the American made 556s falls WAY short of that reputation. That is a problem (especially for SIG).

FWIW even a base model Sig556 comes with more features than most stock ARs. It's also an adjustable piston operating system. The Sig isn't as accurate as an AR that is a fact. The reliablity is were it has an advantage over the AR. The best way to describe the Sig55x style of rifles is a cross between an AK operating system that breaks on pivot like an AR for easy cleaning and maintenance. It takes 5.56 AR mags, so if SHTF you can toss mags between Sig556 and AR15 users.

Both are good systems and I wouldn't feel poorly armed with either. I would prefer my Sig556 because I just can't warm-up to the way the AR feels in my hands. This is probably because I have always prefered the feel of the AK, CETME, FAL, HK and other European styled rifles.

I think most of us would agree with that, however while SIG has a long reputation for building top notch guns the user/owner experience with the American made 556s falls WAY short of that reputation. That is a problem (especially for SIG).

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I would like to see the proof that the Sig 556 is in any way inferior to the other Sig 55x rifles other than the fact that the fact that it's not full auto. The Sig 556 upper is nearly identical in construction to any of the other Sig 55x rifle uppers with the exception of the barrel length on certain models.

The Sig 556 lower is different in because it's designed to use AR mags (which isn't a bad thing) and it has an aluminum lower receiver but the internals are almost identical as well. Any Sig 55x upper will work fine on a Sig 556 lower for example.

Also since so few of us here in the States have personal experience with the other Sig 55x rifles there is very little credibility when people here say that the 556 is not the same quality as it's European brethren.